Automatic track switch



R. R. SCOGGAN.

AUTOMATIC TRACK SWITCH.

APPLlCATlON FILED AUG-5.1921,

1,418,978. V PatentedJune 6,1922.

RICHARD R. SCOGGAN', 0F JEFFERfiONVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGIIOR T0 KENTUCKY SWITCH & SIGNAL CO. INC., 015 ST. MATTHEWS, KENTUCKY. CORPORATION 01? KENTUCKY.

AUTDIVIATIC TRACK SWITCH.

Specification of LettersPatent. Patented June 6, 1922.

Application filed. August 5, Serial No. @0314.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD R. SCOGGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jeffersonville, in the county of Clark and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Track Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic track switches and particularly to that type of device in which the switch is thrown by an electro-magnet located in a track box below the level. of the street.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means for improving the seal between the conduit carrying the feed wires to the magnet and the magnet cylinder.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby through a singleopen- .ing the conduit wires may be sealed with a sealing compound and said wires and magnet terminals brought together in said opening and connected, a cap being provided for hermetically sealing said opening.

A further object of the invent-ion is to provide the magnet cylinder casting with an auxiliary chamber external to the chamber of said cylinder and in communication therewith, the conduit wires being carried through said auxiliary chamber, the lower part of said chamber being constructed for there ception of a sealing compound, and the magnet terminals and conduit wires being brought together and connected in the upper part of said chamber there being a single opening for said auxiliary chamber giving access to both said auxiliary chamber and the cylinder and a cap tor hermeticallysealing said opening.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for anchoring said magnet cylinder against displacement so that the joint between said cylinder and conduit will not be broken by relative motion between the parts due to the operation of the device.

lates.

In the drawings accompanying and torming a part of this specification, and wherein the preferred embodiment ofmy invention is illustrated Y Figure 1 is a plan view of a trackbox with the lid partly broken away showing the magnet cylinder and its operative connections.

Figure 2 is a cross section along the lines 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 8 is a cross section alongthe lines 3 3 of Figure 1.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 represents the track box comprising the rectangular body portion 2 and the lidS. The side of the box is apertured. at 4 for the'introduction therethrough of the conduit 5 carryingthe feed wires 6. One end or the box is slotted at 7 through which slot slides the switch bar 8 leading externally to the switch section of the track, not shown. lVithin the track box 1 is the magnet cylinder 9-which contains the magnets by which the switch bar 8 is operated. The conduit wires 6 are connected with the ma net wires 17; as clearl 7 shown i n Figure 3 and furnish the current by which said magnets are energized. Between said switch bar 8 and the magnet is the lever 13 pivotally mounted on thebottom of the track box at 11 and )ivotallv connectedat a point i I of the magnet cylinder, the magnets acting inductively through said tube upon the plunger, There is thus no possibility for water to get into the magnetcylinder by any path except through the oint where the electrical connections are made, and toimprove this joint is the purpose of the present invention. I

The magnetswithin the cylinden 9 alternately draw the plunger 16 back and forth, and a rod 18 is provided, actuated by the spring 19, the function of which is to press first on one side and then on the other of the fulcrum 11 of the lever 13, to hold theswitch bar firmly in either of the positions to which it has been thrown by one of the magnet-s.

In Figure 3 is shown in detail the structure of the improved sealing joint which is part of my invention. In this figure the magnet cylinder casting 9 is extended to one side forming a sealing chamber 21 separated from the interior of the cylinder proper by the partition 22 which is curved to form part of the interior wall of said cylinder. Between the top oi? the partition22 and the cylinder casting 9 is left an opening 23 by which access may be had'to the interior of said cylinder and through it the magnet wires 17 normally protrude into the upper part of the sealing chamber. The sealing chamber 21 has a threaded opening in the side wall thereof for the reception of the conduit 5 and the top wall of said sealing chamber is provided with the threaded aperture 24 of suflicient size to extend not only over that portion of the sealing chamber 21 lying outside of the partition 22 but also over the aperture 23 leading .into the cylinder.

Running from the end 0t said conduit 5 through the sealing chamber 22 and terminating in the upper part ofsaid sealing chamber are the conduit wires 6 which are brought together with the ends of the respective magnet wires and connected thereto in or adjacent to the plane of the opening 24 of said sealing chamber.

The sealing compound 25 is poured into the chamber 22 through the opening 24 thus effectually sealing the space between the con duit wires and the wall of said sealing chamber against the ingress of water, and sealing also the threaded connection between the conduit and magnet cylinder casting. A hollow cap 26 is provided which fits over the connected portions of said conduit and magnet wires and threadedly engages the aperture 2tmalring a hermetic seal by which water or dampness is excluded from the interior of said cylinder.

In, ground switches of the type now on the market the reactive kick which the pull of the magnet. exerts on the magnet cylinder somewhat displaces said cylinder relative to the track boX in which it is located having a disruptive effect upon the joint between the conduit and cylinder. This has made necessary the use of a short section of steam hose between the conduit proper and the cylinder casting. This hose rapidly deteriorates and becomes leaky so that it is almost universal to find water in the in-.

terior of the magnet cylinder which causes the rapid destruction of the magnets. In order to hold the cylinder casting immovable within the track box irrespective of the reactive thrust of the. magnet upon said casting and thus to obviate the need of the flexiblehose connection, I have devised the clamping plate 27 shown in Figure 2. This clamp plate comprises an arm 28 adapted to find a purchase along one edge of the track boa and an arm 29 adapted to make engagement with the surface of said magnet cylin der. At its arch or intermediate portion the clamp plate is provided with a threaded aperture 30 in which is located a set screw 3i provided with a centering point 32 adapted to fit into a groove or notch 33 which is made at any suitable point in the interior of the track box. By applying a wrench to the nut surface 34: of said set screw the clamp plate may be advanced against the surface of the magnet cylinder crowding the same against the bottom and side wall of the track box as shown at 35 and 36 respectively in Figure 2, thus eiiectively preventing lateral and longitudinal motion between said cylinder and the track boX.

The clamp plate 27 is universal in its adaptability to track boxes already in use and the design shown is chosen with a, view of permitting said clamp plate to span over any conduit or other mechanism which may be located within the track box.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. luau electric track switch, amngnet cylindercasting comprising a magnet chamher and a scaling chamber, said chambers being provided with a common opening and a plug hermetically sealing said opening.

In an electric track switch, a magnet cylinder casting comprising a magnet chamber and a sealing ch amber, a conduit in communication with said sealing chamber, said. chambersbeing provided with a common opening and a plug hermetically sealing said opening.

3. In an electric track switch. a, magnet cylinder casting comprising a magnet chamber and a sealing chamber, a partition separating the lower part oi said sealing chamber from said cylinder, said chambers being in communication above said partition, said se. ling chamber being provided in its upper wall with an opening communicating with both chambers and a cap hermetically closing said opening.

4:. In an electric track switch, a magnet cylinder ca sting comprising a magnet chamber and a sealing chambena partition separating the lower part of said sealing chamber from said cylinder chamber, a conduit communicating with the lower part of said sealing chamber, said chambers being in communication above said partition and said sealing chamber being provided in its upper wall with an opening communicating with both chambers and a cap hermetically closmg said opening.

5. In an. electric track switch, a magnet cylinder casting comprising a magnet chamber and a sealing chamber, a partitionseparating the lower part of? said sealing ohamr ber from said cylinder chamber, a conduit communicating with the lower part of said sealing chamber, conduit wires passing through the lower part of said chamber, a sealing compound filling the space between said wires and the walls of the lower part of said chamber, said chambers being in communication above said partition, said sealing chamber being provided in its upper wall with an opening communicating with both chambersand a cap hermetically closing said opening.

6. In an electric track switch, a magnet cylinder casting comprising a magnet chamber and a sealing chamber, a partition separating the lower part of said sealing chamber from said cylinderchamber, said partition being curved to form the unbroken cylindrical wall of said magnet chamber.

7. In an electric track switch a magnet cylinder casting comprising a magnet chamber and a sealing chamber in communication at their upper portions, a conduit communicating with the lower part of said sealing chamber, magnet terminals extending from the magnet chamber into upper part of said sealing chamber, conduit wires passing through said sealing chamber and connected to the magnet terminals, said seal-- ing chamber being provided with an open mg giving access to both of said chambers and a cap hermetically closing said opening. I

8. In an electric track switch, a magnet cylinder casting comprising a magnet chamber and a sealing chamber in communication at their upper portions, a conduit communicating with the lower part of said sealing chamber, magnet terminals extending from the magnet chamber into the upper part of said sealing chamber, conduit wires passing through said sealing chamber and connected to the magnet terminals, means for sealing said conduit wires in said sealing chamber, said sealing chamber being provided with an opening giving access to both of said chambers and a cap hermetically sealing said opening.

9. In an electric track switch, a magnet cylinder casting comprising a magnet chamber, and a sealing chamber in communication at their upper portions, a conduit in communication with the lower part of said sealing chamber, magnet terminals extending from the magnet chamber into the upper part of said sealing chamber, conduit wires passing through said sealing chamber and connected to the magnet terminals, said sealing chamber being provided with an opening giving access to both of said chambers,

and a hollow cap enclosing said wire terminals and hermetically sealing said open- I0. In an electric track switch, a track box, a magnet cylinder within said track box, securing means for holding said cylinder in place within said track box, comprising a plate having an arm abutting the surface of said cylinder, and means engaging said arm and reacting against the side of the track box for tensioning said plate between said cylinder and said track box.

11. In an electric track switch, a track box, a magnet cylinder within said track box, securing means for holding said cylinder in place within said box comprising a plate having an arm abutting the surface of said cylinder and screw threaded means cooperating with said arm for tensioning said plate between said cylinder and a side of said track box.

12. In an electric track switch, a track box a magnet cylinder within said track box, securing means for holding said cylinder in place within said box comprising an arched plate having a fulcrum arm engagable with a side of the track box, a work arm engaging the surface of the cylinder and a threaded nut engaging said plate intermediate said arms and adjustable against a portion of said track box for forcingthe work arm of said plate against the surface of said cylinder.

13. In an electric track switch, a magnet cylinder casting comprising a magnet chamber and a sealing chamber, a conduit joined to a wall of said sealing chamber and, in communication therewith, and a sealing compound within said sealing chamber in sealing relation to the joint between said conduit and the wall of said sealing chamber.

14. In an electric track switch, a magnet cylinder casting comprising a magnet chamber and a sealing chamber, a conduit in communication with said sealing chamber and making a joint with a wall thereof, conduit wires extending through said conduit into said sealing chamber, and a sealing com pound within said sealing chamber filling the space between said wires and the walls of said sealing chamber, and in sealing relation to the joint between said conduit and the wall of said sealing chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD R. SCOGGAN;

Witnesses KATHERINE LUNsFoRn, WILBUR LUNsroRn. 

